Symptoms:

• Weakness
• Increased thirst
• Nausea
• Lethargy
• Confusion
• Convulsions
• Coma

Symptoms may progress over a period of days or weeks.

Additional symptoms that may be associated with this disease:

• Speech impairment
• Loss of feeling or function of muscles
• Dysfunctional movement

Signs and tests:

Vital signs (temperature, pulse, rate of breathing, blood pressure):

• Temperature -- higher than 38 degrees Centigrade (100.4 degrees Fahrenheit)
• Heart rate -- greater than 100
• Systolic blood pressure -- low (less than 100)

• Blood glucose -- severely higher than normal (from 600 to 2,400 mg/dL)
• Higher than normal serum osmolarity
• Higher than normal serum sodium
• Evaluation for possible underlying causes
  • Chest x-ray
  • Blood cultures
  • Urinalysis
  • Electrocardiogram (ECG)